Enduro motorcycles and motocross bikes are cousins that might at first seem as though they’re one of the same, but after checking the two a little more closely, you’ll discover they address different goals.

Enduro Motorcycles

Enduro motorbikes are also known as trail motorcycles and they’re designed for medium to long rides on dirt roads. These are the bikes used in events as the very famous Paris-Dakar rally. As they are street legal (motocross bikes are not), if fitted with the right tires, enduro’s can also perform relatively well on paved roads. If you want to make long trips in the backcountry or you are looking for a bike that allows you to ride on and off road, this is your best choice.

Enduro and motocross bikes are normally equipped with single cylinder engines that produce lots of torque – smaller ones (125 cc to 250 cc) usually work on two stroke cycles and the bigger ones (250 cc to 650 cc) on four stroke cycles -, but one important difference is that enduro’s have wider gear ratios to better accommodate to long trips and the “on road” capabilities of the bike.

To be able to clear the different obstacles you can find when riding off road, Enduro motorcycles are taller than standard bikes. Consequently, they are fitted with a long travel and medium-hard suspension of the kind you find in motocross bikes.

The overall configuration of an enduro motorcycle is similar to the one of a motocross bike, but enduro’s also come with certain equipment that make them street legal and travel friendly. Some of the features you will find on enduro motorcycles that you won’t normally find in motocross bikes are: a headlight, a tail and brake light, an street legal exhaust system, frame guards, speedometer, electronic starter and others.

To obtain the best performance of an enduro bike, tire selection is key. You should always choose a model that better accommodates your riding style and trail/road conditions.

Honda is a good resource to look for an enduro bike since they’ve been making them for about 40 years now. Their latest model includes everything that the company has since learned about engines, suspension, handling and more. Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, BMW and KTM are other brands you should look into when selecting an enduro motorcycle.
Motocross Bikes

If you want to take dirt biking to the extreme and catch big air jumps this is the kind of motorcycle you’ll need. Just keep in mind that these motorcycles are not street legal.

Their engines are normally smaller (125 cc to 500 cc) than the engines of trail bikes. They usually work on two-stroke cycles but you’ll also find some four-stroke engines. This kind of engines normally come with six speed close-ratio gear boxes that gives motocross bikes faster acceleration and improve handling and maneuverability in severe dirt conditions.

As enduro motorcycles, motocross bikes have a high ground clearance but suspension is stiffer to be able to stand extreme off road riding and big air jumping. Comfort, as you can probably guess, plays no role and passengers are not an option.

Mirrors, stop lights, headlamps, speedometers, electronic starters and all the equipment you would normally find in other motorcycles are normally removed just so they lose as much weight as possible.

Since they’re not used on the highway, aerodynamics isn’t a big issue but that doesn’t mean motocross bikes are ugly. Some of them are aesthetically impressive.

As you can image, motocross motorcycles tumble over a number of times during their lifetime and one might think these bikes would suffer a lot of damage. But the truth is that they were designed for tumbles and spills. They’re not damage proof – but they’re hard to hurt at the same time.

Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and KTM are the leaders when it comes to manufacturing motocross bikes. All these manufacturers provide competitive and quality vehicles for motocross fans.

Well this is it for the moment….

In the fourth and last part of this brief “buying a motorcycle Guide” series I will talk about mopeds and scooters.